My CalFresh benefits suddenly reduced due to 'IRT NA' - what does this mean?

IRT stands for Income Reporting Threshold. The 'NA' part means 'Non-Assistance' (basically CalFresh-only households). When they say your benefits were reduced because of 'IRT NA,' it typically means they believe your income went above the reporting threshold, and you didn't report it within 10 days. The IRT is the amount of income where you MUST report changes even between your regular SAR7 reporting periods. For a household of 3 in 2025, that threshold is around $3,025 in monthly gross income. If your income went above that amount (even temporarily), they expected you to report it within 10 days, and they're saying you didn't.

I think child support DOES count as income for CalFresh! That's probably it. They probably found out about the payment through the child support enforcement system and counted it as income for that month.

this happened 2 me 2 months ago!!! so frustrating they expect u to know all these random rules and then punish u when u dont! 😡 like how am i supposed to know what IRT even is?? the caseworker never explained any of this when i applied

You need to call your county office right away to explain that you didn't understand the IRT reporting requirement. Ask if you can file for a 'restoration of lost benefits' based on misunderstanding of the reporting requirements. They should have explained the IRT during your application process and at recertification. It's usually mentioned in the approval notices too, but it's often buried in pages of text that most people don't read carefully. Bring documentation showing your regular income and explain that the child support was a one-time back payment, not recurring income. They might be able to adjust your benefits for future months.

Calling the county is your best option, but good luck actually getting through! I spent THREE DAYS trying to reach someone about my own benefit reduction issue. Either busy signals or waiting on hold for hours only to get disconnected. It's like they don't want us to resolve these problems! 🤬

This child support thing is a common mistake! The tricky part is that one-time payments like back child support DO push you over the IRT even though they're not recurring. The system isn't very forgiving about this. But it does mean your benefits should go back to normal next month if your income goes back down below the threshold.

Yes, they can adjust your benefits month by month based on income changes. This is actually how the program is designed to work - benefits go up when income goes down, and benefits go down when income goes up. For the original poster: since this was a one-time payment, your benefits should return to the normal amount next month. However, you still need to call and clarify this with your caseworker. Make sure they understand it was a one-time payment of back child support, not a new regular monthly payment.

Just wondering - did they send you any notice before reducing your benefits? They're supposed to give you advance warning with a Notice of Action before cutting your benefits. If they didn't, you might have grounds for appeal.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm new to CalFresh and had no idea about the IRT reporting requirement. Reading through everyone's experiences makes me realize I need to be way more careful about tracking any income changes, even one-time payments. @Melina Haruko glad you got it sorted out with the county office! It's ridiculous that they don't explain these rules clearly upfront. I'm definitely going to save that Claimyr tip from @Vera Visnjic in case I ever need to reach my caseworker. Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge - this community is so valuable for navigating all these confusing rules!

This is such a frustrating situation but unfortunately pretty common! The IRT (Income Reporting Threshold) rule is one of those things they really should explain better during the application process. For anyone else reading this - the key thing to remember is that ANY income that puts you over your IRT needs to be reported within 10 days, even if it's a one-time payment like back child support, a tax refund, or extra work hours. The system automatically flags these through various data matches (like child support enforcement, unemployment, etc.) so they usually find out anyway. @Melina Haruko I'm glad you got through to your caseworker and got it sorted out! For future reference, you can also report income changes through the BenefitsCal website or mobile app - sometimes it's faster than calling. Just remember to keep screenshots of your submissions as proof you reported on time.

This whole thread has been so educational! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - got a notice about IRT but mine says "IRT A" instead of "IRT NA." Does anyone know what the difference is? I'm assuming the "A" means something different than "Non-Assistance" but can't find any clear explanation online. My caseworker hasn't called me back yet and I'm worried my benefits are going to get cut too. @Melina Haruko so glad you got yours resolved! This community is amazing for helping each other navigate these confusing bureaucratic systems.

This is exactly why I always tell people to keep detailed records of ANY money coming in, no matter how small or infrequent! I learned this the hard way when I got hit with an overpayment notice because of some freelance work I did that I forgot to report. Now I have a simple spreadsheet where I log every dollar - wages, child support, cash gifts from family, even money I find in old coat pockets (kidding on that last one, but you get the idea). The IRT rules are so strict and the consequences are immediate. @Melina Haruko your situation with the back child support is super common - a lot of people don't realize that lump sum payments count as income for that specific month even if it's making up for months of missed payments. It's frustrating but at least now you know for next time. For anyone else reading this thread, I'd also recommend calling your county office just to ask what your specific IRT amount is for your household size - they should be able to tell you the exact dollar amount you need to stay under.

Wow, this entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm relatively new to CalFresh (about 6 months in) and had absolutely no clue about IRT reporting requirements. Reading through @Melina Haruko's experience and everyone's explanations has me realizing I need to be way more proactive about understanding these rules before I get hit with a surprise reduction. I'm definitely going to start keeping better records like @Freya Christensen suggested with the spreadsheet idea. And @Mateo Lopez, thank you for mentioning that you can report income changes through the BenefitsCal app - I had no idea! That's going to be so much easier than trying to get through on the phone. It's honestly frustrating how complex these rules are and how poorly they're explained during the application process. This community thread has taught me more about CalFresh requirements in 20 minutes than all the paperwork I received when I first applied. For anyone else new to the program reading this - definitely save this thread and maybe even screenshot some of the key advice about IRT thresholds and reporting requirements. Knowledge is power when dealing with these benefit systems!

This thread is absolutely incredible! I've been on CalFresh for about 8 months and thought I knew the basics, but reading through everyone's experiences with IRT reporting has been a real wake-up call. @Melina Haruko, I'm so sorry you had to deal with that sudden reduction - it must have been really stressful, especially with kids to feed. But thank you for sharing your situation because it's helped so many of us learn! The child support counting as income thing is something I never would have thought about. My ex is supposed to pay monthly but it's pretty sporadic, so now I'm wondering if those irregular payments could put me over my IRT threshold too. Definitely going to call my county office this week to ask what my specific IRT amount is. @Vera Visnjic that Claimyr tip is gold - I've wasted so many hours on hold with my county office before. And @Freya Christensen, starting that income tracking spreadsheet today! It's wild how many little rules and requirements they don't explain clearly upfront. This community is seriously invaluable for navigating all these systems. Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

This thread has been such an incredible resource! I'm relatively new to CalFresh (started about 4 months ago) and honestly had never heard of IRT until reading @Melina Haruko's post. The fact that a one-time child support payment can trigger a benefit reduction is something they definitely should explain better during the application process. What really strikes me is how everyone here is helping each other navigate these complex rules that the system fails to explain clearly. @Dallas Villalobos your explanation of what IRT NA actually means was so helpful - I finally understand what that cryptic abbreviation stands for! And @Freya Christensen, I'm absolutely going to start that income tracking spreadsheet you mentioned. The idea of logging every dollar coming in seems overwhelming but clearly necessary. @Vera Visnjic that Claimyr service sounds like a game changer for actually getting through to county offices. I've spent countless hours on hold before, so having something that waits for you is brilliant. It's frustrating that we all have to become experts in these bureaucratic rules just to keep our basic food assistance, but at least this community makes it possible to learn from each other's experiences. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge - this thread should honestly be pinned as required reading for anyone new to CalFresh!

This entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! As someone who's been on CalFresh for about a year, I thought I understood the basics pretty well, but reading about the IRT reporting requirements has opened my eyes to how much I still don't know. @Melina Haruko, I'm so glad you got your situation resolved and thank you for sharing your experience - it's clearly helped tons of people learn about these confusing rules! The child support counting as income issue is something I never would have thought about either. I occasionally get some irregular income from side gigs, and now I'm realizing I need to be way more careful about tracking when those payments might push me over my IRT threshold. @Freya Christensen's spreadsheet idea is brilliant - I'm definitely starting one this week. And @Mateo Lopez, thanks for the tip about reporting through the BenefitsCal app - that's going to save me so much time compared to trying to get through on the phone! What really strikes me about this conversation is how we're all having to educate each other about rules that should be clearly explained by the system itself. It's frustrating that accessing basic food assistance requires becoming an expert in all these bureaucratic requirements, but I'm so grateful for communities like this where people share their knowledge and experiences. This thread should honestly be required reading for anyone new to CalFresh!

This thread has been such an incredible learning experience! I've been on CalFresh for about 5 months and had absolutely no idea about IRT reporting requirements until reading through everyone's experiences here. @Melina Haruko, I'm so sorry you had to deal with that sudden benefit reduction - that must have been incredibly stressful, especially with kids depending on those benefits. But thank you for sharing your situation because it's opened up this amazing educational discussion! The whole child support counting as income thing is something that never would have occurred to me. I don't receive child support, but I do occasional freelance work that varies month to month, and now I'm realizing I need to be much more careful about tracking when those payments might push me over my IRT threshold. @Dallas Villalobos thank you for explaining what "IRT NA" actually means - that breakdown was so clear and helpful! @Freya Christensen I'm absolutely starting that income tracking spreadsheet this week. @Mateo Lopez the tip about reporting changes through the BenefitsCal app is gold - I had no idea that was even an option! And @Vera Visnjic that Claimyr service sounds like a lifesaver for actually getting through to county offices. It's honestly pretty frustrating that we all have to become experts in these complex bureaucratic rules just to maintain basic food assistance, but I'm so grateful for communities like this where people share real-world knowledge and experiences. This entire thread should be required reading for anyone new to CalFresh - it contains more practical information than anything I received during my application process!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! I just started receiving CalFresh benefits about 2 months ago and honestly had no clue about any of these IRT reporting requirements. @Melina Haruko I'm so sorry you had to deal with that sudden reduction - that must have been really scary not knowing what was happening with your benefits! But your question has created this amazing educational resource for all of us. Reading through everyone's explanations, especially @Dallas Villalobos breaking down what "IRT NA" actually means and @Freya Christensen's advice about keeping detailed income records, has made me realize I need to be way more proactive about understanding these rules before I accidentally trigger a reduction myself. I had no idea that things like one-time payments or irregular income could cause issues with benefits. @Vera Visnjic that Claimyr service sounds like it could be a real lifesaver - I've already spent hours on hold trying to reach my county office about basic questions. @Mateo Lopez I also had no idea you could report income changes through the BenefitsCal app instead of calling - that's going to make things so much easier! It's honestly pretty frustrating that we all have to become experts in these complex bureaucratic rules just to keep basic food assistance, but I'm so grateful this community exists to help each other navigate these confusing systems. This entire conversation should be required reading for anyone new to CalFresh - it contains more practical, useful information than anything I received during my application process. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

This thread has been such a goldmine of information! I've been on CalFresh for about 6 months and thought I had a decent handle on the program, but reading about IRT reporting requirements has been a real eye-opener. @Melina Haruko I'm so glad you got your situation resolved - that sudden $125 reduction must have been terrifying when you're depending on those benefits to feed your family! The child support income issue is something I never would have considered. I don't receive child support myself, but I do get occasional cash gifts from family members during holidays or emergencies, and now I'm wondering if those could potentially push me over my IRT threshold too. Definitely going to call my county office this week to find out what my specific threshold amount is. @Dallas Villalobos thank you for that clear explanation of what IRT NA actually stands for - I've seen similar abbreviations on my paperwork but never understood what they meant. @Freya Christensen I'm starting that income tracking spreadsheet immediately - the idea of logging everything seems like a lot of work but clearly it's necessary to avoid these surprise reductions. And @Vera Visnjic that Claimyr service sounds amazing for getting through to county offices without wasting hours on hold! It's honestly pretty disappointing that we all have to educate each other about these critical rules that should be clearly explained during the application process. But I'm so grateful for this community where people actually share practical knowledge and help each other navigate these confusing bureaucratic systems. This entire thread should be pinned as essential reading for anyone on CalFresh!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! I just got approved for CalFresh last week and honestly had no idea about any of these IRT reporting rules until stumbling across this discussion. @Melina Haruko I'm so sorry you had to deal with that sudden benefit reduction, but thank you for asking the question that started this amazing educational conversation! Reading through everyone's experiences has made me realize how much I need to learn about these program requirements that they definitely don't explain clearly during application. The fact that one-time payments like back child support can trigger reductions is something I never would have thought about. I don't receive child support, but I do occasionally help my neighbor with odd jobs for cash, and now I'm wondering if I need to be tracking those small payments too in case they add up to push me over my threshold. @Dallas Villalobos your explanation of what "IRT NA" means was so helpful - finally understanding those confusing abbreviations! @Freya Christensen I'm definitely starting an income tracking spreadsheet this week. @Mateo Lopez had no idea you could report changes through the BenefitsCal app - that's going to be so much easier than calling! And @Vera Visnjic that Claimyr service sounds like a lifesaver for actually getting through to county offices. It's honestly pretty frustrating that we all have to become experts in these complex rules just to keep basic food assistance, but I'm so grateful this community exists where people actually help each other navigate these confusing systems. This thread contains more useful information than anything I received during my application process - definitely bookmarking this entire conversation!